Animal Health Perspectives FEBRUARY2015•VolUmE11•IssUE1

What’s inside

PDS Recruits New Talent .......................1

Bovine and Porcine Enteric Disease Study ...........................................................2

PDS Fundraising Campaigns ..................2

Saskatchewan Sheep Abortion Surveillance Program...............................3

World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians Conference ................................................3

2014 Testing Results for Equine West Nile Virus Infections .........................................4

PDS Recruits New Talent for its Leadership Team By: Marilyn Jonas, CEO, Prairie Diagnostic Services

Director of Finance and Administration, CFO:

Veronika Bencze was hired as Director of Finance and Administration (CFO) effective mid-November 2014. Veronika is responsible for finance, human resources, information technology and administration. Veronika brings a unique skill set and broad and varied background to her role. She is originally from Hungary and has the equivalent of a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, a Master Degree in Business Administration and a Ph.D. in the same field. She taught for six years at the University of Pecs in Hungary before immigrating to Canada. Veronika has held positions

of increasing seniority and authority within the finance field since she came to Canada (Alberta) as she concurrently completed her CMA designation in 2010. Her last four positions have been in senior finance roles in government, a not-for-profit organization, a community college and most recently in a large First Nations community close to Calgary. Veronika is married with 3 children. She and her family have relocated to Saskatoon.

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PDS has recently strengthened its leadership team with the addition of two critical positions, Director of Finance and Administration (CFO) and Director of Clients Services and Marketing. The additional resources will add significant value to the organization and to our clients.

Director of Client Services and Marketing:

Brian Zwaan joined PDS as the Director of Client Services and Marketing effective December 1, 2014. Brian has taken responsibility for client services, outreach, marketing and sales. He will play a key role in interfacing with our diverse client groups and other key stakeholders and facilitating the information flow between PDS and our clients. Brian brings 25 + years of relationship management, sales and marketing experience to PDS. After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelors of Agriculture Degree (Animal Science), he spent 13 years within the veterinary pharmaceutical industry in sales and program development and management. He then spent 5 years as CEO of an automobile parts and supplies business and another nine years in sales for an agriculture seed distributor. Most recently he has worked as a program development manager for Farmers of North America in both sales and program development.

He and his wife, Dr. Trish Dowling (WCVM), live on an acreage out by St. Denis with their two children.

join us!homecomingJune 13-14, 2015

conferenceJune 12-13, 2015

usask.ca/wcvmVeterinary MedicalCentre

join us for three days of learning, reminiscing and renewing ties with your classmates and alma mater!

For more information, visit usask.ca/wcvm/fifty-years Questions? wcvm.supportus@usask.ca | 306-966-7450

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Prairie Diagnostic Services has an ongoing research project to determine the detection rate of significant

enteric pathogens of cattle and pigs. The project is funded by Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) and Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA). The objective is to compare the presence of enteric pathogens in both clinically-affected (diarrheic) and unaffected animals (negative controls).

Transportation and laboratory testing costs related to the project will be covered by PDS through the project funding. In addition, PDS will provide a $50.00 credit per submission of negative control samples, which could be applied to any other testing. Any testing on these cases, which is not included in the project (for example full necropsy, serology, etc ;) will be billed at PDS regular fees.

Samples Needed: 1. Samples from Clinically Affected Animals: Fresh/unfixed small and large intestines (ileum and spiral colon) from calves (newborn to 3 month-old) or pigs (newborn to 2 month-old) euthanized or dead less than 6 hours with clinical signs of diarrhea. Submit a portion (~20 cm each) of fresh ileum and spiral colon on ice for bacteriology, virology and parasitology tests and another portion of ileum and spiral colon in formalin, for histopathology examination. 2. Samples from Negative Controls: Submit similar samples (ileum and spiral colon) from calves (newborn to 3 month-

old) or pigs (newborn to 2 month-old) euthanized or dead less than 6 hours from causes other than diarrhea (e.g. lameness, pneumonia, etc.)

orFecal sample (10 grams) from healthy calves (newborn to 3 month-old) or pigs (newborn to 2 month-old) could also be submitted as negative controls for this study. Please make sure that samples arrive at the laboratory within 48 hours after collection.

Submission Forms:Please ensure that the PDS bovine or porcine submission form is completed (located on our web-site, www.pdsinc.ca), including the age of the animal and time of euthanasia or death. Please specify that the samples are for the ADF-ALMA Enteric study in the History section.

Ensuring You Receive Payment for Transport Costs:In order to ensure that your transportation costs for your samples are covered please check the “Payment Receiver Account” box on your Purolator waybill and put PDS account number – Saskatoon (6093759) in the receiver account box. If you are using the bus, please ask for the COLLECT way bill.

Please contact the PDS Diagnostic Services Office (DSO) if you have any questions (306-966-7316). Thank you for your collaboration on this project.

PDS Fundraising Campaigns in 2014

Opportunity for free testing of samples to be used in Bovine and Porcine Enteric Diseases Study

In October 2014, PDS raised a total of $1,772.00 for the C95 Breast Cancer

Marathon through a Silent Auction, the sale of curry powder and butter chicken seasoning prepared by Anju Tumber (Head Technologist, PDS Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory) and the sale of cupcakes and cookies made by Monique Darke (Technologist, PDS Bacteriology Laboratory) and her family.

Our 2014 “Movember” campaign raised a total of $1,785.00 through web and anonymous donations; an auction for a dinner prepared by Dr. Bruce Grahn (Veterinary Ophthalmologist, Small Animal Clinical Sciences and Associate Dean [Academic], WCVM); the sale of decorative pens crafted by Brent Wagner (Department Assistant, Veterinary Microbiology, WCVM) and the sale of curry powder and butter

chicken seasoning prepared by Anju Tumber (Head Technologist, PDS Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory). The funds raised are directed to programs run by Movember and their men’s health partner, Prostate Cancer Canada.

PDS also collected Christmas baking and a variety of art supplies for Eagles Nest Youth Ranch.

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World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians ConferenceJune 15-18, 2015 • Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada • www.wavld2015.com

Saskatchewan Sheep Abortion Surveillance ProgramBy: Dr. Wendy Wilkins, Disease Surveillance Veterinarian, Ministry of Agriculture

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Veterinarians are reminded that the Saskatchewan Sheep Abortion Surveillance Program runs until June 30, 2015.

Abortion in the lamb industry has been a problem for many years and some producers have come to accept abortions as normal.This program will help the Saskatchewan sheep industry determine the prevalence and type of abortion occurring on farms and to assess the severity of the problem.

This is the second and final year of this program. In the first year, spring 2014, there were 44 submissions to PDS under this project, from 18 different producers. Although the program was underutilized, it did reveal some important information about the causes of sheep abortions in Saskatchewan. Fifty percent of the abortions were found to be due Chlamydophila abortus, or enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE). Also, 50% of the farms submitting fetuses had at least one chlamydophilus abortion, making this pathogen the number one cause of ovine abortion in the province.

Producers are eligible to participate in this program if they have at least 10 ewes and their flock has experienced at least two abortions or stillbirths in the current lambing season. The program covers the costs of pathology and laboratory testing at PDS, and covers the costs of shipping the fetus providing they are shipped C.O.D to the

laboratory. All fetuses will be tested for EAE, and routine bacteriology. Other tests may be done based on necropsy/bacteriology results.

For more information on this program, please contact the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board at 306-933-5582.

This program is funded by Growing Forward 2 and supported by in-kind contributions by the Large Animal Clinic at the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board.

The World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians

Conference (WAVLD) will be held in Saskatoon, Canada in June 2015. It is being hosted by the Canadian Animal Health Laboratorians Network (CAHLN) with PDS as the lead laboratory. Other partners include Saskatoon Tourism, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, the WCVM, CFIA and a host of industry partners.

This is the first time that the World Congress has been held in North America since 1999 (Texas). It presents a unique opportunity for the Canadian and U.S. veterinary diagnostic community to share ideas, network and be exposed to world class international expertise.

The 2015 conference will be held from June 15th to June 18th and will feature two and a half days of themed presentations and poster sessions as well, an exhibition featuring products and services for the veterinary diagnostic sector. The conference themes include management of endemic disease, new and emerging disease, new technologies, turning lab data into intelligence, and wildlife and one health.

The call for abstracts has just been released and will end February 15th. Registration opens January 15th.

Partners involved in the conference include The World Organisation of Health (OIE) which will hold a one day diagnostic conference as

one of the program options. The Canadian Animal Health Laboratorians Network (CAHLN) and the Canadian Association of Veterinary Pathologists (CAVP) conferences and annual meetings will also be integrated into the program as will the annual meeting of the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network (CAHSN). In addition to the information sessions, we will offer scientific and community tours, as well as formal and informal networking opportunities.

For more information on the conference check our web-site at www.wavld2015.com or contact Dr. Dale Godson, Chair, Scientific Committee dale.godson@pds.usask.ca or Marilyn Jonas, Chair WAVLD 2015 marilyn.jonas@pds.usask.ca.

READERS’ FEEDBACk

Submit your comments or concerns to Dr. Moira Kerr (email: moira.kerr@pds.usask.ca) and they will be forwarded appropriately.

The Animal Health Perspectives editorial team (Dr. Moira Kerr, Crystal Wagner and Kathryn Tonita) invite readers’ comment on any material published in the newsletter or questions on material submitted by contributors.

To be added to the distribution list for the electronic link, email: crystal.wagner@gov.sk.ca

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2014 Testing Results for Equine West Nile Virus InfectionsBy: Dale Godson, Microbiology Laboratory (Immunology/Virology), PDS

West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus that is spread by mosquitoes and can infect and cause neurologic disease in horses. Detection

of IgM antibodies to WNV (indicating a recent infection) in a horse with neurologic signs is considered diagnostic for West Nile virus disease in horses.

In 2014, the number of submissions declined slightly (from 78 in 2013 to 68 this year) as well as the number of positive results. There were 15 cases (22% positive rate), compared to the previous year with 32 positive cases (41% positive rate). The first positive case occurred in the last week of July, but cases were most prevalent in September with the last two cases of the year detected in the first week of October.

West Nile virus infection is a notifiable disease and PDS reports positive results to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The Public Health Agency of Canada maintains a summary of surveillance data for West Nile virus infections on their website (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/wnv-vwn/index-eng.php).

Table 1. WNV Submissions

and Results by Province

Prov Neg Pos Total

AB 15 6 21

MB 6 0 6

SK 24 9 33BC 8 0 8

Total 53 15 68